Off-TopicClarkson and the BBC.

So Jeremy said something stupid and offensive, and there's no excuse for his behaviour.
Would that come as a surprise to anyone? Personally I doubt it.
However, it was not broadcast, until the BBC news report played the offensive clip FOUR times.

So - given that it was offensive, and the story hinged on just how offensive it was, can anyone enlighten me as to why the BBC did that, and how they seem to have got away with it without any censure at all?

The story, (if it was one, since it happened in an enclosed private workspace) could have been told without airing the particular word that caused the trouble.

Clarkson is not one of my favourite people, for many reasons.
I would not give it a second thought if the BBC kicked him out.
However, like you, I don't think this is justified.

I find it ridiculous that all sorts of language and behaviour is broadcast, but there are certain words that can never be said.
It is not the word that is offensive, but the context in which it is used.
There are other 'non-banned' words that, when used in a racist way, are far more offensive.

I know, I've been on the receiving end !

IMHO, these words should not be banned, just the way they are sometimes used.

I found the antics of two other BBC broadcasters, who phoned a well known actor, far more offensive.
It is they that should be banned from broadcasting, for life !

Good point there Duc, and didn't our national anthem used to have a racist verse about the Scots?

Personally I don't like the terms white and black being applied to people - just my own feelings, and others are obviously free to choose their words.

I've never seen anyone the colour of snow, or coal - to my mind, everyone is coloured, and we are all brown - albeit in a wonderful variety of shades.
For me, it's not the words though, but the intention behind them.

If you want to get technical about it black isn't actually a colour. White on the other hand is every colour in the spectrum.

I found this whole episode to be a complete farce. Clarkson has had to make a public apology for not saying an offensive word. He mumbled a noise to avoid saying an offensive word which wasn't aired or made public. A news paper has some how got hold of the recording which as it ended up on the editing floor should have been destroyed anyway. He even asked for the scene to be re-shot because the mumbling sound could identify the word. In my opinion it's the BBC which should be held accountable for this. They shouldn't have made the footage available in the 1st place, and to then repeatedly play the clip on the news is disgraceful.

My opinion on the use of the word is very black and white, no pun intended. If it's not acceptable for a white person to say it then it's not acceptable for a black person to say it. All this 'reclaiming of a word' is complete and utter nonsense. If it's ok for a black person to use the word in it's new chosen context to another black person then why isn't it acceptable for a white person or any other person to also use it in it's new chosen context. We're currently in a position where the word is used repeatedly in rap music dozens of times in one song but nobody has dared to write it down in this thread even though it would have been used in context. I don't see how a group of people seem to be able to band this word round without a thought for its history or connotations because they think it's cool yet get offended when others use it. It seems some people just want to have their cake and eat it.

I don't think Clarkson is racist either Zoran, he's more like a scatter gun in that he doesn't give a hoot who he offends. It's his job to be uproariously offensive, and those who watch should realise that.

In my opinion, Farage does not discriminate on grounds of race either, (which I believe is the dictionary definition of racism). He just doesn't want anyone from abroad usurping employment, housing or benefits which would otherwise go to indigenous British people, of whatever colour or creed.
That makes him a fervent nationalist, not a racist. Unfortunately many racists are unable to make this distinction.

If our politicians concentrated on creating employment, we would not all be fighting like rats in a sack.

Although Ukip may be incapable of discriminating between their political coccyx and humerus, they certainly scare the bejesus out of Cameron, Miliband and the rest. So while there's no one to vote for, given that the difference between Tweedledum and Tweedledee is negligible, I shall be voting against the aforesaid old Etonians, and supporting Ukip.

I've worked in Holland, Switzerland, Spain, Germany, Yugoslavia and Romania, and been made welcome - so for me to fail to welcome anyone from abroad into England would be sheer hypocrisy, and I won't do it. I also harbour the ambition to become a useful member of a small Spanish community next winter. National boundaries only exist on the map, and in small minds.

Ukip attract more than ignorant racists, their numbers are being augmented by those who see through the pretence inherent in the political status quo.
That might elevate them into a more reasonable position, and I'm taking a gamble on that.
Does that make me an idiot too?

I'm still not sure whether you could really "hear" the n word... when I first watched the clip it seemed very obvious but then again I was expecting it so my brain sort of pre empted it anyway. To test this I showed the clip to my sister who didn't know about the situation - she still knew the word and probably hears it daily but even after watching it 10+ times she still didn't hear the word Clarkson apparently said.

Older versions of eenie meenie miney mo used the n word but that hasn't transferred onto today's society has it?
I mean everybody used it in primary school daily to make decisions but that word never popped up. Heck I didn't know this line of the verse till the Clarkson incident.

Anyway if you guys want to - show the clip to somebody who's not in the know over this incident and see what they think the mumbles say..

In my eyes it's just a silly ordeal fabricated by the media. Why are people so offended? Don't get me wrong, I understand how it has offensive connotations, but it didn't air, and the evidence of it even being said is sketchy at best.

I'm the least racist person going, I'm a quarter English, Scottish, German and Polish, my closest friends are various nationalities and one in particular has a habit of telling people we bump into in public that he's my token n*gger. I'll freely admit I make racist jokes, fat jokes, and the rest - in good jest, even if Clarkson said it, what the hell harm was he really doing? There's a time and a place where these things are acceptable, amongst the right people who understand a joke is a joke and you mean no personal offence.

I banter with a lot of my friends about various traits they have be it physical, racial or just something they did in the past and get the same in return. With the Top Gear production crew, who've worked together for years, I'd be surprised if they didn't banter a whole lot worse between themselves. It's all just media sensation.

To quote a friend's song lyrics, "A colour of a man's skin ain't no different to the colour of a man's eyes."

" If it's ok for a black person to use the word in it's new chosen context to another black person then why isn't it acceptable for a white person or any other person to also use it in it's new chosen context."

Good point Doc, my tentative answer would be that old wounds preclude a balanced position being possible today, and perhaps for many years to come.
Resentment is captivity, forgiveness is freedom - but coming from the aggressor, those words ring hollow.

" If it's ok for a black person to use the word in it's new chosen context to another black person then why isn't it acceptable for a white person or any other person to also use it in it's new chosen context."

Good point Doc, my tentative answer would be that old wounds preclude a balanced position being possible today, and perhaps for many years to come.
Resentment is captivity, forgiveness is freedom - but coming from the aggressor, those words ring hollow.

I remember having this conversation a while back. Depending on what you consider we ended up on - white people can't anymore as it was used dominantly by whites in the past to describe black slaves. Now however it is a term of endearment amongst blacks hence why they can use it.

EDIT: I'm ignoring rap songs with this explanation though, many of them just sold their dignity for fame + fortune and that's their choice

You almost made me forget how much I resent Royal Mail I still maintain you have one of the most interesting writing styles I've ever come across, and how naturally it comes to you has me in sheer awe.

I remember having this conversation a while back. Depending on what you consider we ended up on - white people can't anymore as it was used dominantly by whites in the past to describe black slaves. Now however it is a term of endearment amongst blacks hence why they can use it.

EDIT: I'm ignoring rap songs with this explanation though, many of them just sold their dignity for fame + fortune and that's their choice

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So if a white person has a black friend can he use it as a term of endearment too? I suppose this is a rhetorical question as I know what the answer will be. But then it all depends on the relationship between the 2 people and how the black person perceives the comment.

I have a disabled friend who can barely walk and on occasion I have called him a cripple. But he understands the manner (friendly/ endearment) in which it's meant, and refers to himself as the same. But if I said the comment in the street and if a passer by heard me call him it then I'd likely get a few disgusted looks.

So if a white person has a black friend can he use it as a term of endearment too? I suppose this is a rhetorical question as I know what the answer will be. But then it all depends on the relationship between the 2 people and how the black person perceives the comment.

I have a disabled friend who can barely walk and on occasion I have called him a cripple. But he understands the manner (friendly/ endearment) in which it's meant, and refers to himself as the same. But if I said the comment in the street and if a passer by heard me call him it then I'd likely get a few disgusted looks.

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Same scenario as my black friend that I mentioned, it all depends on circumstance and relationship.

So if a white person has a black friend can he use it as a term of endearment too? I suppose this is a rhetorical question as I know what the answer will be. But then it all depends on the relationship between the 2 people and how the black person perceives the comment.

I have a disabled friend who can barely walk and on occasion I have called him a cripple. But he understands the manner (friendly/ endearment) in which it's meant, and refers to himself as the same. But if I said the comment in the street and if a passer by heard me call him it then I'd likely get a few disgusted looks.

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Yes it all depends on the relationship in that case - we assume that the white person uses the word as a term of endearment and the black person is cool with it then the relationship is good.

A white person can't simply say the word to a stranger who happens to be black as in the past the word would have been used widely when talking to black people.

I have an acquaintance who's a professional wrestler, we've known each other for years and I was at a party with him one night years ago. He was shouting out all kinds of obscenity about his race at the top of his voice, drunk as a skunk, and in my similar state I made some comment about how it was pretty obvious to us already he was black and he didn't need to keep shouting at the top of his voice, He smacked me square in the chest, didn't even feel it till the following morning when I struggled to sit up.

But yeah, a lot of people find it perfectly acceptable to point out things about themselves like it's nothing, another person is a complete different story. I won't jest with someone about something they could take offensively these days unless I know them well, think that's a pretty good way to look at it.

I have an acquaintance who's a professional wrestler, we've known each other for years and I was at a party with him one night years ago. He was shouting out all kinds of obscenity about his race at the top of his voice, drunk as a skunk, and in my similar state I made some comment about how it was pretty obvious to us already he was black and he didn't need to keep shouting at the top of his voice, He smacked me square in the chest, didn't even feel it till the following morning when I struggled to sit up.

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LOL everybody gotta get as far away as possible from him when ni***s in Paris gets played